Why Community Storytelling is the Soul-Nurturing Experience We Need Right Now
This week we had our fourth in-person gathering circle for Stories We Carry. These are open-to-all public gatherings for a community of humans who enjoy listening to fellow humans' stories — and, oftentimes, sharing their own.
My initial vision for the gathering was closer to a The Moth or Tenx9 type of event — where people submit or pitch their stories ahead of time, and we select 7–9 to share at each gathering.
It turns out it doesn't quite work like that for something grassroots in Hawaiʻi.
People do come — but the stories tend to flow naturally, without pre-submissions or preconditions. To a planner like myself, that is still a new reality, and one that requires a fair bit of mental adjustment. And with a community event of this nature, despite RSVPs, you never really know if you're going to have 3 people or 23.
And yet, somehow, it works.
People come. People stay. People share candidly. People listen attentively and respectfully. The flow is natural and organic. In many ways, it reminds me of water — the way it finds its own course.
Last night's sharing and listening centered around Becoming You — and the people who helped shape us.
The range of stories was wonderfully varied and deeply unique. From a parent who exposed us to the realities of the human condition from a very young age — keeping our eyes and ears open to the world, and shaping the trajectory of an entire life — to a professor and colleague whose worldview was rooted in respect, openness, and genuine care. To a grandmother who, despite adversity in her youth, became one of the most distinguished luminaries of jurisprudence — and still always cooked your favorite dish.
There was also a story of an inner teacher — one who has been learning to listen more intently, and in doing so, discovering the wisdom already within, becoming a better being every day.
A father shared a silly — yet somehow deeply core — moment with his daughter that opened new layers of depth in their relationship, and reminded us of the lifelong importance of simply being there for the people we love.
This was our first intergenerational circle, and it was incredible to watch the children — ranging from 7 to 15 — listen so intently and respond so genuinely.
Our last share of the night came from a lovely woman who came more to listen than to be in the spotlight. And hers was a profound one.
A realization that our individual existence — our behavior, our decisions, our actions — touches so many people in our lives, both near and far. And how little control we truly have over how we are perceived by others. A quietly unsettling, yet deeply human realization.
The evening left me introspective on many levels.
It also reminded me, quietly, that sometimes if we simply go with the flow and trust the process — with a fair dose of integrity — beautiful things happen naturally. Organically. Without force or judgment.
Something to think about, and perhaps something to practice in our daily lives a little more intentionally.
If you have a story of someone who shaped, changed, or influenced your life in a meaningful way, I encourage you to share it with us. It is a soul-nurturing experience. And you may discover that someone else's story opens something in your own.
With much Aloha,
Olga